My son says he wants to become an elementary school teacher

[cantdrv55]

Not no but heck no, I said. It's an honorable profession but I don't want to see him struggle to make ends meet. I've always said teachers make more per hour than lots of other professions but I'd want him to live more comfortably. Is that a bad things for parents to want?

Anyway, what's the outlook for an elementary school teacher's salary in 5 to 10 years from now? My son's going to grad school too so he should be ready to join the workforce in 2015.

[Rot 911]

On the other hand any school will kill to get a male elementary teacher. There is such a shortage of male elementary teachers that he can pretty much pick the school he wants to teach at.

Not to mention the female to male ratio with his fellow, single employees will definitely be in his favor,

[Gogar]

And, he can join the union!

[Christien]

Admittedly education is a much different thing here then there, but my wife is a teacher and makes pretty good scratch. We could meet all our obligations on her salary alone. It'd be tight, for sure, but do-able. With me being self-employed, it's our steady "fall back" in case things go bad, plus provides excellent benefits for our family. Plus, she's got more security in her job than almost anyone else, even in a major recession.

But more importantly than all that, what our society really needs are passionate teachers who care about kids. The kind of person for whom this *isn't* the best paying job they can get, but may be the most fulfilling. That's my wife's perspective, and she's a damn good teacher. If your son is really passionate about teaching and loves kids, I say go for it. Money's important, but it should never be the only consideration.

[vash]

dude...your kid would make a great teacher!!!

i know this kid. he is the steadiest and most adjusted teen i have met. great kid. he probably isnt a teen anymore, maybe 19? hard to tell a kid "no" to an honorable profession. what if he plans on living simple? we already know he didnt get his parents car addiction. you are imagining a life for him. maybe let him imagine?

(i say, push him to marry rich)

[RedBaron]

If he is going to enjoy it, why not let him do it? I would rather do something I like and get a decent salary then do something I hate and get paid more. In fact, I think it is a cool job. You get every goofy holiday off, summers off, health insurance (if its a public school) and a decent salary (again if its a public school).

[M.D. Holloway]

I think he should and here is why:

1) Good teachers are tough to find, great ones are even tougher.
2) They may not get 'paid' well but think of it like this - the hour wage is less but they have the opportunity to kill it through tutoring. I have several teacher friends that do this and it is mostly under the table. They do well.
3) The lady factor - there are always hot girls working as teachers.

[TechnoViking]

Tell him the private sector will be making a nice recovery by the time he graduates.

Money DOES by happiness, IMO. I have cousins that are teachers and they are always strapped for cash, it seems.

[TechnoViking]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

I think he should and here is why:

1) Good teachers are tough to find, great ones are even tougher.
2) They may not get 'paid' well but think of it like this - the hour wage is less but they have the opportunity to kill it through tutoring. I have several teacher friends that do this and it is mostly under the table. They do well.
3) The lady factor - there are always hot girls working as teachers.

Good point on the ladies. Don't forget all those MILFs coming to parent-teacher meetings.

[stevepaa]

let him try for three years, see if he loves it or not.

salaries start around 50K in bay area

starting teachers usually put in 65 hours per week

[GG Allin]

Every teacher that I know, does well. $65-75K per year with great benefits, and summers off. The whole "teachers aren't paid well" is a crock. at least around here. Sure that's not not rich, but you could do alot worse.

[cantdrv55]

We have a family friend who's a high school teacher. His wife is on disability so he's the sole breadwinner. The guy works all day at school then nights at a Round Table Pizza. They rent their home and drive junkers. Not exactly the life I want for my kid. This is in the SF Bay Area so he'd probably have to move away to live more comfortably.

He'd make a great teacher, I know. He's a lifeguard in the summers and teaches swim lessons to 5 to 8 year olds. Their parents love him and go back to him year after year since he began at age 15. He loves his job.

[RKC]

My wife was just was elected president of the school board. Average salary in our district in the suburbs of Chicago is just over $90k. Many teachers seem to marry other teachers, including two of our close friends. Short commute, normal to short hours, summers spent doing travel or earning extra money....not a bad life. The school superintendent makes $218k, and we are a small district.

So....good pension & good hours to me mean a good life, mostly. And you are allowed to go make that same salary in some beautiful towns (think college towns - much of what you want out of a city without most of what you don't want - easy commute, low crime, etc.). Not going to make millions, but your job (or entire industry) isn't going to vanish either.

Industry stability and time off would certainly sound interesting to someone my age in this business climate if I had it to do all over again...kills me a little bit each day to think of how little time I have with my own kids, especially during the summer.

Was talking to my wife last night....I could easily write a check for a sailboat I have my eye on, but I am stalling because I know I wouldn't find time to use it much. Teachers making a combined $180k might have to save for such a sailboat, but they'd be out on Lake Michigan right now just outside my window. Not sure which is the better situation....

[stevepaa]

I don't think any child lives the life their parents wanted.

Let him find what makes him fulfilled in life.

[RKC]

I don't think any child lives the life their parents wanted. Let him find what makes him fulfilled in life.

+1

[stomachmonkey]

Really depends on your area.

Starting pay is ok for a single person.

Tenured teachers with time under their belt can break the 6 figure threshold.

Easier to do if they have a specialty in the "needs" category like speech therapy.

Elementary teachers can put in a normal day, lower grades do not have the homework, papers and tests that take up their time at night.

And it's only a 9 month job.

If they teach summer school it's added income.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

We have a family friend who's a high school teacher. His wife is on disability so he's the sole breadwinner. The guy works all day at school then nights at a Round Table Pizza. They rent their home and drive junkers. Not exactly the life I want for my kid. This is in the SF Bay Area so he'd probably have to move away to live more comfortably.

He'd make a great teacher, I know. He's a lifeguard in the summers and teaches swim lessons to 5 to 8 year olds. Their parents love him and go back to him year after year since he began at age 15. He loves his job.

How about college? I would think that's a better living and better conditions as well.

Still, let him try it. If he's going to grad school, he'll be educated enough to change jobs if/when he decides he doesn't like it. If he does decide that he likes it, then wouldn't you not feel right by keeping him from doing something that he enjoys?

The secret is to live within your means. Too many folks don't do that these days. (granted, sometimes it's hard, I'm certainly no expert)

[jhynesrockmtn]

At some point he has to make his own decisions based on his values and what he wants from life. My daughter wants to go into social services. My ex thinks "she's too good for that". I say let her make her own informed decision. If she decides she's not making enough money to suit whatever life style she wants she'll decide to do something different later. I know plenty of happy teachers and people in social services. Most are more intelligent and well adjusted than people I worked with when I was climbing corporate ladders making rich white guys richer.

[pavulon]

Teaching is one (?only?) way to live forever. After leaving a crappy, boring and stressful hospital job w/ great pay and benefits, my brother loves being an elementary school teacher and (written this here before) is essentially a celebrity in his small costal Oregon town (I'm not sure he'd call me on the run-on sentence)

[Rusty Heap]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wbo_van-halen-hot-for-teacher_extreme